in her fit of rage, let her burn
by DarkAngelOfSorrowReturns
Summary: Cassiopeia's desire to be the fairest of the Black family would be her undoing. Warning, potentially dark themes.


Note: Warning, somewhat dark themes

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Cassiopeia didn't understand where things had gone wrong. She had everything. Beauty…money…power…all of it was in her possession, yet it wasn't enough. _No_. Despite everything she had, she was not the most beloved in her family.

That title was currently being held by her sister Dorea, and Cassiopeia detested the thought. What did her sister have that she didn't?

With Dorea's upcoming success in school, Cassiopeia was tossed aside like yesterday's trash. She would be scolded and told to do better. _Be like Dorea_. The statement alone made her nauseous.

When Summer came, Cassiopeia would be left alone in the manor, and the green monster would rear its ugly head in her mind. It would whisper to her, telling her to remain alert. It would comfort her with compliments about her worth. It would instruct her on how to prove to her family who the fairest Black was.

She kept their conversations a secret, tucked away in her mind when she was surrounded with her family. Her outward appearance would be interpreted as oblivious and submissive by her family; but Cassiopeia was anything but. She would get show them all just how wrong they were for siding with Dorea. Dorea did not deserve her title as the fairest Black. That title was Cassiopeia's and Cassiopeia's alone.

Cassiopeia tried many attempts on her sister's life: poisoning her tea, sending her cursed objects, even hiring another wizard to kill Dorea. Nothing worked. It was like Dorea was protected by Merlin himself, because nothing touched her. Cassiopeia's competition still lived.

The longer Dorea was alive, the colder Cassiopeia grew. She was meaner, stronger, and deadlier; and trying to conceal the fact had been harder than before. It was the Black blood coursing through her veins; the power that came with it was intoxicating. No one had paid attention, however, because they were too busy doting on her beloved sister. The words were acid on her tongue.

Cassiopeia could feel that this moment was it; her sister was going to die today. Then Cassiopeia could claim her rightful title. She was pacing in her room, waiting for the right moment to come out and strike when a slight noise broke her away from her thoughts. Cassiopeia knew that slight noise because she'd made a similar sound when she'd execute her plans.

It was a locking spell.

Cassiopeia tried to unlock her door, but there was something more powerful at play. " _What is the meaning of this_?" she demanded, pounding on her door with a snarl.

"Did you really believe that we didn't notice what you were trying to do, Cass?" came the voice of her damn sister, Dorea.

Her fists clenched tightly, and she bit her tongue to refrain from saying the wrong thing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do, Cass," Dorea said. "And I've informed Mother and Father of your heinous actions towards me. The next time you leave this room you will receive terrible consequences."

Cassiopeia could hear the smugness in her sister's tone, and she felt her insides fill with rage.

"You will not get away with this," Cassiopeia shouted, forgetting to keep her composure. "I will end you! I will be the fairest Black of all, and I'll enjoy standing over your rotting corpse!"

"Such anger…envy," Dorea drawled. "A pity that it had to come from a Black. It's a disgrace, really."

"Open the door and say it to my face," Cassiopeia spat. "I challenge you to face me!"

She heard laughter beyond the door. "You'll get your punishment from Mother and Father soon enough."

Cassiopeia screamed and beat on the door repeatedly, but she knew her sister was no longer there. The fact that her sister tried to best her filled Cassiopeia with even more rage. She sent blasts of magic at the things in her room. She destroyed anything within reach to release her anger, even her mirrors.

The destruction of her room made Cassiopeia feel the power deep within her bones, but she failed to care about the fire she lit. It manifested on any fabric or flammable material she had in her room, but Cassiopeia was more concerned on her rage.

It was the fuel to the growing fire. Cassiopeia stood in the middle of her bedroom, hands out to her sides as she stared at the ceiling.

"I am the fairest Black of them all," she told herself, repeating the statement over and over with more conviction every time. As her voice rose, so did the fire. When it came in contact with her body, Cassiopeia howled in pain; but her wrath and rage nearly blocked away anything else.

The flames consumed her, much like her desire to destroy her sister. It had become her downfall. She didn't know where things had gone wrong. _She_ was supposed to be the fairest Black of them all.

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 **A/N: Written for HSWW (Challenges and Assignments)**

 **Assignment #10 History of Magic Task 2:** Write a story inspired by the Evil Queen in the fairytale of Snow White.

 **Scavenger Hunt** : 8. write a fic that is incredibly angsty

 **Word Count** : 815


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